My Everything
by HelenValence
Summary: A young American girl travels back to Japan to meet the one person who will change her life. Ups and downs for numerous years, but the love between them brings them back to each other. Meet the girl who changed the life of the Mighty Rukawa Kaede. There are a lot of interesting incidents, I promise... enjoy! xD
1. Chapter 1: Cross Roads -Junior High-

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of Slam Dunk characters, I just used them in the story for the merit of imagination and having fun time doing so, but I do aown Liz (Elizabeth/ Liza Stanely) and using her name in any other literally work will be a violation of copy rights. Thank you :)**

**Having said that, let me tell you that YES Liz Stanley is an American girl living in Japan, and you will get to know her story once you start reading. Hope you would enjoy it. **

**Please write to me and tell me what is your review of the story, and be gentle, it's my fisrt Fanfic:)**

**P.S. The dates mentioned will help you keep track of the years and times.**

**Enough talking, and lets start!**

**Cross roads:**

**March 2013**

"Kaede...no, no don't..." she screamed.

"Darn, another nightmare… I'm tired of reliving that day!" said Liz to herself.

Liz has been seeing the same nightmare repeatedly for more than 2 months now, and then she would wake up screaming his name. She wished that she could go back in time to have her old perfect life back again.

She looked at the clock; it was still 6:00 am, so she decided to go out for an early walk, hoping that would help in distracting her tired mind.

She stopped in front of the basketball court and took a deep breath.

"You swore, Liz, you swore! You shouldn't be here, not anymore." She mused.

She went inside the court with a childish hope that she would find him inside, but deep inside her, she knew she would not see him anymore.

It has been two months since she last went near the court. Being there brought so many painful memories to her, but she did not want to leave. It felt as if it was just yesterday when she was there. However, she could hear the dripping of the ball…_HIS_ dripping, she could even remember when she was nagging the team and when they would complain….worst still, and she could hear _HIM_ calling her name.

"_Go home, Liz, you know that you do not belong here anymore. There is nothing you can do here." _She mused.

Involuntarily, she picked up the ball and tried to shoot. In her mind, she knew that he would make fun of her _'as usual'_.

"_That's a lame shot, Liz. You know that you can't beat me." _he would say.

"_Ha Ha...try me Mr. Perfect!" _she would reply.

Usually she would fail to win any challenge against him.

"_And he wins, as usual!_" he would say while landing gracefully on the ground.

She dropped the ball with the deepest hope that the memory would go away...

"I wish I have never known you, Kay, I can't spend a minute without thinking about you…you broke something inside me, and it seems that I can't breathe without you." She cried.

**Flash back!**

Liz Stanley was that castaway American girl who joined Tomigaoka Junior High at the age of 15, soon enough to start her senior year there. It was rather unusual to have an American Kid in Japan, but her story was somehow weird. Her Japanese mother was married to an American tycoon, and they lived in the states for 12 years. When her parents got divorced, her mother took her back to Japan, and they have been living together in Japan for almost 3 years now, where her mother continued the family business and became one of the famous businesswomen in Japan.

"_**We were both young when I first saw you, I close my eyes and the flash back starts, and I am standing there on a balcony in summer air. See the light; see the party, the ball gowns. I see you make your way through the crowds, and I say hello, little did I know that you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles, and my daddy said stay away from Juliet..."**_

**July 2009**

Liz was introduced to Rukawa Kaede in a party held in the Rukawas' mansion by his father to celebrate the new partnership between Rukawa Corp for Computers and Yamagato's Softwares, which happened to be Liz's mother's company; the famous Dragon lady; Yurika Yamagato.

At that time, Liz was only 15, and so was Kaede.

Liz was socializing with the guests in the party when she noticed someone looking intently at her from a corner in the hall. She looked to see that person who pierced her soul with deep looks. She was astonished to see a rather fine tall young man with soft raven-like black hair. The boy was handsome and she couldn't resist looking at him.

He was none but Kaede Rukawa, but she did not know that by that time; however, she knew that she was automatically attracted to those wild blue eyes.

She excused herself from the crowds, and headed towards that raven-haired beauty who was standing alone.

"Enjoying the party?" she said cheerfully.

"Hnn!" he just hummed.

"What! You don't understand English, do you?" she raised her eyebrows in astonishment.

"Of course I do you silly!" he replied.

"Sorry, I'm Yamagato Liz, nice to meet you…?" she offered her hand for him for a handshake.

"You can't be a Yamagato!" he said with a poker face.

"Why? Is it the dress? I told the old dragon that it is too much, but she didn't believe me!" she frowned while checking the dress, as if she was talking to herself.

"You are not Japanese!" he said in wonder.

"Oh that! Yeah, I know; the brunette American girl...I get that a lot! How awful is it to be labeled by people who do not even know you." she said while waving her hand in the air.

"It brings out the color of your eyes." He said quickly.

"Excuse me?" she stopped in wonder.

"The dress is blue and you have brown eyes. It is good." He noted.

"Oh! Thank you." She smiled, "Would you like to drink something, Mr.?" she wondered again. She wanted to know who he was.

"Rukawa!"

"No way!" she said in surprise.

He just glared at her.

"So you are the famous handsome guy that every girl I meet in school talks about! You are quite famous around here, do you know that?" she asked.

He looked away.

"Well, I can see why! You are quite charming, Rukawa-boy! I bet those cold blue eyes do the charm for a lot of girls…someone has a nice love life!" she said while winking.

"It's Rukawa-kun you idiot!"

"Oh! You do not like being complimented! I like that in guys! Anyways, it's nice to meet you boy, let's get together sometime, I bet this is the first thing the dragon would ask me to do; to get closer to her new partners, because it is good for business." She waved good-bye while walking away.

Kaede thought that she was the most awkward girl he has ever met.

However!

Kaede could not get Liz Yamagato out of his head for days, and it annoyed him in the beginning, for he did not know why he would think of such an annoyingly cheerful person. However, he was astonished that she did not seem to be a raving fan of his, like all the other stupid girls. In fact, He felt that she had no idea whom he was other than what she heard about him from other girls in school and that he is the son of her mother's new partner. She wasn't interested in him as a handsome and rich Japanese boy as they say, nor as a famous basketball icon. That was a big wound for his Ego in the beginning. For once in his life, someone was not ready to sacrifice their place in the lunch queue to let him in, or to scream his name in surprise when he shows up.

"She is the most awkward girl I've ever seen, but she is interesting! And her relation with her mother is a big question mark! She seems rather unaffected by her mother's strong character. Anyways, why would she take a great space of my mind if she is just an object of interest?" he started to wonder.

Rukawa Kaede feared to admit that she was more than a mere object of interest for him.

"_I like Liza Yamagato!" _

Nevertheless, confessing that wasn't as easy as it sounded in his head.

After that, Kaede started to keep an eye on that girl in school. He was astonished by the fact that she did not try to approach him. However, nobody ever noticed that he was following her. It seemed like the fox's secret way of watching Liz.

Few weeks later….

Yurika invited Rukawa-Sama, her partner and his son to lunch and she forced Liz to join them. Liz liked the boy, but not enough to spend the day with him, so she pretended to be sick to get away but her mother never bought it. Thusm she eventually joined them for lunch.

After lunch, she retreated to her room, because she disliked being around that 'gloomy' silent boy as she described him to her mother.

_But love has its own magic. Just as it attracted her to him in the first meeting, it attracted Kaede to her room._

He was roaming around the Yamagato mansion to kill the boredom he was feeling! His dad forced him to go with him to the Yamagatos, and he did not want to, even though he secretly wanted to see that girl who occupied his mind for quite some time now.

He was checking the drawings on the ceiling of the second storey when Liz decided to go out of her room… in the same storey.

"Well, well! Look whom do we have here! None but the famous Rukawa boy!" she said sarcastically.

"It's kun, Lil One!"

"I'm not little!"

"And I'm not a boy!" he said angrily.

"Ugh! What are you doing here anyways?"

"Wandering obviously or do you need glasses?"

"Gosh! Why are you so aggressive! Chill out, boy! You are one unbearable kid to be around!"

"Well, I'm not here to impress you!" he glared at her.

"Yeah, of course! You have an army of girls dying to be impressed by your arrogance!"

"Stupid girl!"

"Arrogant boy!"

There was a moment of silence, then Liz decided to act as the grown up in that situation! After all, they both thought because they were 15, that made them adults.

"I can show you around the house, if you want! i think it's similar to your mansion, except for the Dragon's ward." She giggled.

"Your mother?" he asked.

"Yes!"

"Why do you call her by that name?"

"Is not that the name the press gave her? Just to think that I'll grow up to take over that name one day gives me the creeps!" she stated.

"And you are ok with the name?"

"She is actually a dragon! Mom has suffered a lot in her life, which made her very tough! Just like a dragon, she can never open up even to her own daughter, so why do you expect me to be sad about her nickname…. She once said, "The woman has to make her own path among the fires of hell and leave her marks! You have to be tough as steel to be able to do that, Liza."… She has been always like that since dad left us in the street in the States… So me and my mother are like the sun and moon…..totally different, and we are only blood-related, because she will never understand me, and neither would I." she stated her story as if she was reading a boring book.

"In the street!" said Kaede in shock.

"Weird family, I know!" she laughed, but her expressions changed when she saw the shock on his white handsome face, "Not that look! Careful there, Kaede, You don't wanna fall for a girl like me!"

"Fall? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" he said defensively, but he knew deep inside him that her story moved something inside him; she was as weird as he was, but the only difference was that she was annoyingly talkative.

"What's your story anyways? You walk around like James Bond…All famous, but always alone and gloomy."

"Hnn"

He left her without looking back.

"Weird boy!" she sighed.

A couple of minutes later, Liz found Kaede sitting on the staircase, so she went down and sat beside him silently.

"My mother passed away 5 years ago! I was too young to realize it, but I remember her last words to me." he said.

"I'm sorry to hear that!" she apologized.

He handed her a worn-out letter out of his pocket.

"Here. I never go anywhere without it."

"My little prince...I am lucky to have you as my son, and I am proud of you. Just remember that I will always be there with you, watching over you, and I will be extremely proud of my little man when he becomes the world's most famous player... I love you Kaede, no mother is luckier than I am… take care of your dad for me, will you? See you in your dreams, prince charming."

"Kaede!" Liz said with tears falling from her eyes.

"My dad was never the same ever since, and I was never the same…We stopped talking to each other somewhere. We became like you and your mother!" he admitted in pain.

Kaede felt the warmth of the arms of the young girl hugging him. He has never felt that warm or close to anyone since his mother passed away, but suddenly he pulled away.

"Leave me alone! You and I…That didn't happen." He said in denial.

"What is 'that'? We are just talking, Kaede! We are getting to know each other." she said innocently.

"Bonding! We are not friends, I've made a mistake and that is the end of it. Gosh! What came over me to talk to you like that! Enjoy telling everyone in school about the sad story of Rukawa Kaede, because nobody will believe you!" he said aggressively.

"But I have not intended to tell anyone in the first place, Kaede! Why would I do that?" she wondered innocently.

He was surprised by the fact that she was not planning to tell his story to anyone, he was even more surprised of himself, because that was the first time he opened up and talked that much to any one since the day "his angel" left, not even to his dad.

Kaede was awaken from his thought by his father's voice.

"Son! Move we are going home. See you later, Ms. Yamagato." Said the father firmly.

Liz ran to Kaede and held his hand.

"Stanley! Call me Elizabeth Stanley, I love that name, I 'd like to be called by that name by the people I like, and you are one of them, not matter what you do." she whispered in his ear to his surprise.

"Elizabeth! Behave! I'm sorry son; my daughter is a little bolder than usual today." Expressed the mother.

"I'll see you around, Rukawa boy!" she winked.

"Up to your room, young lady. I'm sorry Rakawa-Sama."

Liz gave him a little smile, which made him feel more puzzled…

"_He trusts me! Ain't I the luckiest girl ever!" Liz mused with a deep smile on her face._

Something about that girl was definitely different….She was so warm. She even started to melt the ice around his heart without noticing, but Kaede knew that he should never let her in his life, he can't bear to lose anyone anymore.

Kaede never understood how his relationship with Liz worked! She was always there around him…talking, bubbling and even joking about anything and everything without waiting for him to join in the conversation, and she seemed to enjoy it. He wondered why she enjoyed being around someone as quiet as he was, and more importantly, why did he let her be around him. That was so not him!

"You want to ask me about it, I know! So, I give you the permission to ask!" she said cheerfully as usual.

"What?" he glared at her.

"You know!"

"No I don't… go away," he groaned.

"Not in thousand years!"

"Hnn."

"So, you don't want to know why Stanley?" she grinned.

He raised his eyebrow in wonder.

"That was the name of my grandfather. He was a kind man! He would always take me away to the park and buy me ice cream when mom and dad would start fighting. He was a nice me, the nicest kin I've even had, and because I trust you, I'm telling you that." She said rather sadly.

"Good for you!"

"How rude of you!" she remarked.

Liz would usually lecture him on how he should behave around other people, and he would not listen, eventually leave her, and walk away.

On the other side, Kaede would usually avoid being seen with Liz around school, especially that his name was getting famous across all the junior highs in the province, and the last thing he wanted was to be known for his relationships with girls, even if it was Liz, his American "FRIEND"

**April 2010**

Despite how abnormal and weird their friendship was, Liz never missed any of his games, and she would loudly cheer for him in any game, which would embarrass him, and make him pretend that he does not know her. But she would feel embarrassed later on and pretend that she was cheering for her school.

"It is just that our cheer leaders in school aren't loud enough, so someone has to do it right, and that would be me." She would say joyfully after the game.

"_You say only my name when you are cheering!" he would mentally note to himself._

After one of the games, one of the players approached Kaede.

"Your girl is one fire today! Have you looked at her? She is expecting you to take an action, but if you are not ready, I can always take the step for you, pal." Teased the other team's player.

"What the hell did you just say? She is none of your concern." Shout Kaede, and that scared the other guy away.

He was enraged by what the guy had said to him, and he felt like punching him in the face, but he didn't get the chance to.

At that time, Liz went down to the players' seats to congratulate him, she even tried to hug him, but he pushed her away and pretended not to know her.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked in pain.

"Stop pretending that you know me, and that you are my friend or anything else. I'm not going to take any stupid actions if you are expecting that. I do not want anyone to pity me. Get out of my life." He said sharply.

"Pity? Kaede! Well, I'm sorry to bother you, Rukawa-kun." She said angrily, and threw the flowers that she brought him on the ground and left.

"_I just love you, Kaede." She mused._

Since that day, Liz did not talk to Kaede for the whole summer vacation. She was dying to talk to him but her dignity prevented her every time she tried to. She loved Rukawa Kaede with all her senses, and he humiliated her in public and pushed her out of his life, and she knew she would barely see him anymore, for he grew weirder and weirder since she knew him a year ago. He just got more introvert every day, he kept pushing everyone out of his life, and of course, since they graduated from Tomigaoka Junior High, they would go to different high schools, and she would see him only in any party thrown by his dad or her mother, or sometimes when he passes by her house on his way home.

**She loved him but he never did!**

Kaede felt bad for pushing away the only person who truly cared about him, he even wanted to make things up with her, but he could not. He knew that he lost the ability to communicate properly with human beings a long time ago, so he wrote her an apology letter, but that letter was never sent! He was too proud to send it, because deep inside him, he knew that this letter would reveal his feelings for her.

Stay tuned for chapter two soon:)


	2. Chapter 2: A kiss! -Freshmen-

**Chapter 2**

**September 2010**

**Kaede went to Shohoku High and he was disappointed to know that Liz went to Ryonan High.**

He felt guilty for kicking out the only friend he had for almost a year. It was so rare of him to let people in his life after his mother death; it just was not that easy for him anymore. He felt bad for offending Liz like that but he did not have the guts to go and apologize to her, and when he knew that she went to Ryonan, he felt angry and depressed.

Two months later…

Kaede never heard from Liz, and he assumed that she forgot him.

"_She must be happy now!" he always thought._

On the other side, Liz was always thinking that she would never cross the mind of the mighty Rukawa Kaede. He would not even remember her name. It was so sad that she loved an arrogant boy who would never remember even her name, however, when you are young and in love, you can never get over it that is why she never missed a game he participated in.

By that time, Kaede was famous for being one of the top-notch freshmen in Shohuko high, and he managed to stand out from the crowd in the whole district, not just his school and Liz never stopped following his news. It was then she knew that his school is having a game against her school. She feared that he would see her.

Liz went to the game in disguise in order not to be recognized by Kaede, even though she was sure that she was hiding in vain, because he would never remember her. She watched the game with excitement, for she was excited by the one-to-one games between Kaede and Sendoh Akira, her new funny friend, who seemed to have some feelings for her, but she was not sure of that.

Ryonan won the game with a difference of 2 points.

People were talking about the high performance of Akira and Kaede, and some of them were even predicting their future! Liz on the other hand was trying to run to her home to get rid of the funny costume she was wearing before being seen, but that didn't happen.

She was wearing a baggy black sweatshirt and a straight dark jeans with a cap on her head and sunglasses on her eyes. She pretended to be a mysterious reporter, and whenever someone asked her about the name of her newspaper, she always said a different name and pretended to be writing some notes in her block notes or that she received an important call and that she had to leave quickly.

"You are still silly as usual!"

She was stoned in her place when she heard _HIS_ voice. Of all the people she was trying to avoid, she ran into Kaede, or he actually ran into her.

"Pardon me? I was never silly!" she turned to face him.

He looked more handsome to her when he was only a couple of feet away. His raven black hair brought out the best of his icy blue eyes color. He did not lose an ounce of his charm, so she gave a sigh in the air.

Liz on the other hand, had a new haircut, and she seemed to have dyed her hair to have the chestnut color, which made her white skin shine more, and made her hazel eyes more obvious to the eye. She looked more American every day.

"Why are you here?" he asked quickly.

"Excuse me! This is my school, so I'm the one who should be asking that!" she said sharply.

He felt a slight bang of pain, because she was so defensive, but he expected that! It has been around 7 months now and he did not even apologize to her, so she had every right to be aggressive.

"Nice color!" he said.

"_Nice color! What a foolish thing to say, idiot!" he mused._

"What?" she exclaimed with a very sharp tone, "Are you stupid? You insult me and kick me out of your life and you show up 7 months later to say nice color! I can't believe you."

Before Kaede got the chance to say anything, someone else noticed them!

"What a funny girl you are, Liza-Chan! I like the weird sunglasses by the way!" said none but the famous Akira Sendoh.

"Sendoh-Kun! Thank you." She lightened up and smiled at him.

"What are you doing here?" he said with his usual smile, ignoring Kaede.

"I was passing by." She felt embarrassed, because eventually, both of them would figure out what she was doing.

"Uh huh! You were watching the game." he flashed another smile.

"Yes, good one, congratulations." She said shyly.

"Thank you! Oh! It seems like I interrupted something here, Rukawa, good game." Sendoh said cheerfully.

"Not at all, Sendoh-Kun." Liz smiled.

"We agreed that there is no Sendoh-Kun, it's just Akira, Liza."

"Ok, Akira."

"Would you guys like to join me for lunch?" he offered.

"I'd love too." Liz agreed, because she knew that Kaede would never go, but she looked at him hoping that he would say something, ask her out, apologize or even kill Akira for being nice to her. She just hoped that for once he would do anything.

_But he didn't!_

Liz was disappointed when Kaede said nothing.

"Let's go, Akira. Rukawa Kun is late and most probably wants to go back to his team." Liz said while looking at Kaede with anger in her eyes

"Rukawa?" asked Sendoh.

"Hnn."

Kaede just walked away upset from his passive action and from the way she talked to him. He knew she would never love someone like him….not ever, why would she when she has someone as annoyingly cheerful like Sendoh Akira.

**December 2010**

A month later, Kaede knew that Liz started dating Akira, and that made him hate that Sendoh more and more. It was then when he decided to forget Liz and focus on his dream. It was a mistake from the beginning to let himself have any kind of feelings for anyone or even let anyone in his life.

By the time Shohuko and Ryonan had their second game, Liz was seriously in love with Akira, or that what it seemed to Kaede, who was extremely frustrated and upset, that's why he was so aggressive against Akira Sendoh. He did not know that Liz and Akira were not as happy as they seemed to him.

"When you are with me, you seem to be thinking of someone else, Liza, and I don't know what to do to let you see me!" Akira told her once when they were arguing.

"Aki, you know that I love you! Who else would I possibly think of!" she defended herself.

"See! Even when you say you love me, I do not feel it! It's as if they are just empty words you are repeating! You don't feel it, Liza." he said.

"But! I don't know what's wrong with me! What do you want me to do?" she broke down on the ground.

She knew what exactly was wrong with her; she was still in love with Kaede, and she could not get over that fact no matter what happened. It hurt her that she had to try to get over him by being with Akira.

"How could someone possibly try to get over someone you have never been with! Someone who is so cold and arrogant to even see that you love him!" She admitted to Akira.

"What?" He was shocked.

"I just happen to have those feelings that are killing me, and you are all over me…You are so sweet and nice, and you don't deserve this, Aki! You deserve someone who loves you." She cried.

"You know what, Liza, I love you, and I don't think I can get over you or handle the fact that you are looking at me and you see Rukawa Kaede instead." He said in pain.

"But I never…." She was surprised that he found out that she loved Kaede.

"It's not hard to guess whom do you like, Liza! Your face changes every time his name is mentioned! You get so tense when he is around; even if he is thousand feet away, your eyes talk. I can see him in your eyes, in your tears, but, boy! I don't think I can fight the shadows of the mighty Rukawa Kaede." He said helplessly.

"No, Aki, please, don't leave me." She screamed.

"I think we need to stop seeing each other for a while, Liza until you know what you want. I love you girl." He said with a weak smile and left her.

"But I want to be with you! I promise that I will forget him. I love you, Aki, please listen to me." She pleaded.

**America!**

**January 2011**

By the time Liz and Akira made up things between them and started to date again, Kaede was travelling to the States to achieve his dream; to be the No.1 Rookie around the whole world, to play with real professional and talented players, but before he left, he headed to Liz's house. He wanted to talk to her, but he didn't know that Akira was there!

Akira went to get the door when the bell rang, and his facial expressions went from a cheerful smile to a wide frown when he saw Kaede in front of him!

"You!" Kaede said angrily.

"What do you want?" asked Akira.

"Where is she?" Kaede asked.

"Who is it, Aki? C'mon I'm gonna finish the ice cream before you come back." Said Liz from distance, but he voice was coming closer.

"Honey, we have a guest!" frowned Akira.

Liz dropped the spoon and the ice cream when she saw Kaede in front of her. She was trying hard to prove to Akira that she loved him, and that she didn't think of Kaede anymore, but seeing him facing Aki was like watching to titan Greek gods ready to fight against each other, and her problem was that deep inside her, she didn't know which side she would choose.

"Kaede! What are you doing here?" she was shocked, and she looked at Akira.

"Can I talk to you?" asked Kaede politely.

"You can talk now!" demanded Akira.

"Alone!" stressed Kaede.

"Umm, Kaede…I don't..." Liz struggled.

"It's ok, honey, you can talk to him, I was leaving anyways." Said Akira with half a smile.

"But Aki, I…"

"It's ok, I know! I'll pick you up tonight, ok?" he reminded her with a quick kiss, as if he wanted to prove to Kaede that she was his girl, and he gave a threatening eye to Kaede, then left.

_Akira knew that he was trying so hard to pretend that he would lose her to him the minute he walked away, and that hurt him._

"Why Kaede? Why do you have to show up now when I made things up with him, what do you want?" she asked in frustration while walking to the living room, and he silently followed.

"What do you want?" she asked again.

"I'm leaving." He said.

"So, why did you come? Just to make him leave? To annoy him? Annoy me?" she exploded.

"To the States." He explained.

"Oh! Oh! That!" she said with surprise on her face.

Liz was stoned in her place. She did not expect that.

"What? Why... Why are you...telling me?" her voice trembled.

He did not know what to say to her. He was not good with words at all, he was not even sure why he went to her, she was happy with another man, and she did not even think of him.

"Why? Why do you walk into my life just to destroy it every time I fix the damage you cause?" she asked in frustration.

He did not say anything, but he moved towards her and suddenly kissed her.

"Because I love you." He said.

Her tears started to fall.

"No, no…you can't seriously do this to me! You insulted me and ignored me for almost a year, then you show up to destroy everything! I love Aki." She gasped.

"I know."

"He is gentle and nice. He is everything that you are not. He wants to propose to me after we finish high school." She declared.

"I'm leaving, Liz. I know you never loved me, but I did since I first saw you. I wish you nothing but happiness." He curled his lips.

"So you figured that now is a good time to show me that you can talk, Rukawa Kaede! Of all the times and places, you come to tell me that you love me after making me believe that I mean nothing to you for a year, after I made things up with my boyfriend, and just in time before you go to the States! Wow! I never knew that anyone other than my mother can break me into pieces in no time like that!" she fell on the couch in disbelief.

He remained silent.

"So what now? What are you expecting from me?" she asked.

"Come with me."

"Get out! Leave this house at once, please!" she shouted her lungs out, while motioning him with her hand to leave.

He remained motionless. He expected a similar reaction from her, so he wanted to give her a space to grasp all the information. He knew that what he said and did was too much for her, even for him.

"Get out, leave! Go to America or to hell, I don't care you selfish creature." She said through her tears while throwing the pillows on him.

"You will never see my face again, Liz!" he said in despair.

"Don't call me Liz…It's Liza…get out, leave, I hate you." She kicked him out and curled behind the door crying on the ground. She kept touching her lips to feel his lips against hers.

"Why you idiot? You ruined everything!" she kept shouting and screaming.

But to her question, there was no answer.

Stay tuned for Chapter three:)

Would Liz travel to see her love? After all, The States is her homeland.


	3. Chapter 3:The new manageress -Sophomores

**Chapter Three.**

Sophomores!

**August 2011**

"C'mon ladies, I can pass the ball better than you do." Shouted Ayako-chan at the team.

Ayako looked at Liz with a soft smile and said, "Don't worry, you will get used to that, dear."

"But, Ayako-Chan I don't think I'm qualified to replace you when you are not here." Said Liz in worry.

"You will do just fine! I did not pick you up for nothing. Liza. You are my smart little Math girl, and you can do it." Smiled Ayako, for she trusted her good sense in choosing Liza to replace her after her graduation, after all she was her mentor and she knew that this girl had so much potentials and would do just fine with the team.

"But why didn't you choose Haruko-Chan instead of me? She seems to know more about basket ball than I do" Liz could not help but wonder.

"Haruko will do just fine, but she has been all gloomy and sullen since Rukawa left Japan, and the guys won't handle that. Yes, she is the sister of the latest captain, but the guys are just tired of girls who come around here, because they have a crush over somebody, even me sometimes, since I'm dating Captain Miyagi now. It's too much drama for everyone." Ayako winked while smiling stupidly.

Liz could not help but smile, for Ayako did not know that the reason Liz was transferred to Shohuko High was that she wanted to be around the place where Kaede had spent a whole year of his life in before he left.

"Less drama! I get it, Ayako-Chan." Liz tried to smile.

"Plus, you have another asset, which is that you used to date the infamous Sendoh Akira, so you know a lot of information that would help us." Ayako winked again, "I'm just kidding! It just seems that you have been around a lot of intelligent players that you have acquired some of their skills for yourself, not to mention that you are a practical person, and no space for your life for love and drama, as far as I see. You haven't dated anyone since you broke up with Akira, right?" Ayako asked seriously.

"No, and I don't like to talk about it, please." Replied Liz.

"Sorry dear, I was just giving you reasons to answer your question."

"Ok, no problem. Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure."

"Any news from Rukawa-Kun?"

_"Why did you ask you stupid girl? Why? Now she will know why you are here, and why you left Aki." Mused Liz._

"Well, I sent him a letter weeks ago, and he bothered to reply two days ago." Ayako frowned, "That silly boy! And as usual, his letter was short and stupid. He says that he is fine and people there are very professional, and he sent his greetings to Sir Anazi. That's all!"

"Oh! I see!" said Liz in disappointment. He did not say any word about thinking of coming back or even ask about her.

_"Why would he ask about you, silly? You shut him down. You kicked him out of your life, and he is not coming back EVER." Liz thought._

"Any particular reason?" asked Ayako in concern.

"Nope, just checking. Well, I'd better get going, see you later." Said Liz with a smile on her face.

"See you!" replied Ayako in surprise.

_"Oh boy! You are not in love with Rukawa, are you, Liza? Well, it would only make sense! You were close in Junior High, and you broke up with Sendoh on the very same day he left Japan! Gosh! How could I not notice that? Poor girl!" thought Ayako._

_"He is never coming back for you, Liz, deal with it! You lost him forever!" thought Liz._

_Flash back!_

Akira broke up with Liz on the same day in which Kaede visited them. At that night, when Akira came to pick her up, he found her in a miserable shape, and motionless on the couch. Events took a rather faster course after that moment, for she told him everything that happened, and he broke down, and left her.

"Don't go, please!" she pleaded through her tears.

"I told you before, Elizabeth, I can't fight a losing battle! You have feelings for the guy and that will never change in thousand years and it seems that he does too! I don't know why you bothered dating me in the first place." He exploded.

"Because you are nice, and I like being around you, please, give me another chance." She said.

"See! This is not how it is supposed to work, you should be able to say that you love me as easy as I say it, but you cannot! Gee, Liza, I was going to propose to you! How would you ever say yes to me if you love another man!" he shouted and hit the wall fiercely which scared her.

"I don't… love him!" she said.

"You can't win this one, Liza! Your eyes do all the talk! Do not ever bother talking to me again. I hate you!" he slammed the door behind him.

She ran after him in the street to try to apologize.

"Aki, listen to me! I don't want him. I told him to leave to hell, I didn't even care!" she shouted.

Akira turned back and pointed his finger fiercely to her.

"Then why are you crying? Why? You are driving me crazy." He shouted at her which scared her.

"I don't know! I don't know! It is too much to handle in one day, please don't do that to me!"

"How selfish can you get! You love him and you want me? What kind of sick game is this?" he shouted again.

"Aki, I don't….love him… I want you, not him. I love you, you idiot."

She ran after him to try stopping him, but he pushed her away.

"Liar…stop pretending Liza, you just want to prove to him that you can be happy without him, but you can't, because I won't be your puppet any more. I wish I didn't meet you! God, I feel so stupid now."

"You are not a puppet!" she shouted in anger.

"Then what am I to you?" he shouted back.

"My boyfriend!"

"Ugh! Don't bother! Go and fix things with him, because you can't convince anyone with what you are saying now!"

"Aki!"

"No, no, there is no Aki, don't bother, because I'm not going to listen, just let me be for God's sake! I'll never forgive you Liza Stanley!"

"I didn't want this!" she shouted her lungs out.

"I know! Neither did I! I can't forgive you, but I can wish you happiness anyways, I don't care anymore." He waved a careless goodbye and left.

_"You broke my heart, Liza! Rukawa Kaede… I hate you from the bottom of my heart! You ruined my story, ad gained yourself a permanent enemy!" thought Akira._

Liz spent two weeks in her room after that incident. She considered calling Aki to apologize and try to fix things between him, but she knew it would not work out, because he was right; she loved Kaede, that is why her first thought was calling him in the States.

After that incident, the whole school hated her for breaking Sendoh's heart like that, so it was unbearable for her to stay around, or even see him with those aggressive looks of his and the sad smile that he was trying to hide, after all, Akira was famous for his flashing smile. Those reasons urged her to ask her mother to transfer her to Shohuko High.

Totally alone, away from the people she loved the most; Kaede and Akira, that was Liz's life for the first semester in school as a sophomore, that's why she found Ayako's idea of being the Manageress-assistant a good distraction.

**September 2011**

By time passage, Liz learned all what was required for managing the daily activities of the team like Ayako did.

"Hana, pass the ball to Captain Miyagi, he has a good chance of scoring, don't be selfish!" shouted Liz.

"Well, I'm trying here, so stop nagging me, mother." Shouted Sakuragi.

"You little idiot! I will come over there and show you how bad you are. Pass the ball now!" shouted Liz, which scared most of the team, even Miyagi himself.

"Take it easy, manageress!" said Miyagi trying to ease the situation.

"Mind your own business! Pass the ball, you little punk!" she pointed her finger to Sakuragi.

Scared as he was, Sakuragi passed the ball to her, and she scored a three-point basket smoothly and gracefully.

"See! This is how you score like a professional, Hana!" she landed on the ground gracefully with a smile on her face.

The boys looked dazzled.

"Go on with the practice! Do not act as if you did not see a girl scores before. I'll go get the ball." She said.

She went to bring the ball back from the yard in front of the court when she pumped into the least person she expected seeing on Earth….

None but the Mighty Kaede Rukawa.

"Kaede!" she was stoned in her place.

The ball fell on the ground….

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom….

There was an extremely quiet silence around them. Nobody of the team noticed that Kaede Rukawa was just few steps away from the court.

"C'mon, granny! You have to beat me." Sakuragi's voice was heard from inside the court.

"Leave her and face me, Hana, instead of shouting like kids." Ordered Miyagi.

They seem to have forgotten all about her for a moment.

"That was a nice play." He said as quiet as ever.

Liz looked at him for few seconds in disbelief. His voice sounded weirder to her than ever, it was as if he was not real.

"No, you can't be real! It must be my mind as usual." She dismissed the thought and turned back to the court, but he held her arm.

"I'm not in your mind."

"How? Why now? I can't….no this is too much! Not when I tried to forget you, Kaede….I..." she was confused.

He held her hand in his tightly.

"I'm here."

"You can't be. You are in the States. You do not even remember me. Gosh! I must be losing my mind." She muttered to herself.

He moved her hand up to his cheek.

"I'm here, Lil One."

Her tears rolled down on her cheeks as she looked at his blue eyes that never lost their glamour.

He seemed different from last time she saw him. His hair has grown a little bit longer, and he had a stylish sunglasses fixed on top of hair, not to mention that he had a little beard.

"You didn't shave your beard!"

His lips curled.

"Because of you!" he stated plainly.

"I can't find any words! My mind is blank... you are here! Wow!" she said in surprise. She felt as if she was banged on the head.

She moved away from him and held her head and started mumbling incoherent words as if she was thinking out loud.

"I missed you, Liz." He said quietly.

Liz did not have a chance to respond to him, for she heard a loud screaming all of a sudden, and before she realized what was happening, there was a swift astray ball heading her way. It seemed inevitable for anyone to stop it. Even the swift Rukawa did not get any chance to stop it, so the ball slammed her left cheek and nose so hard that she felt her teeth clutching. Liz felt a huge pain as if her whole face was on fire, and someone was slapping it with a burning whip.

The force of the ball made her lose her balance, but luckily enough, Kaede got hold of her in his arms before she fell, and he lowered himself to let her sit down comfortably on the ground.

It was then when everyone saw the mighty Rukawa.

Shouts varied between asking about Liz and wondering why he was back.

_"Easy there, Liz, easy...I've got you, don't be afraid." _He whispered in her ear.

She was so shocked that she did not realize what was going on, but Kaede was there to soothe her. She looked at him, without realizing that the hit made her cry. She was crying and holding her cheek to stop the pain and blood, and to stop her childish inner feeling that her teeth were going to fall if she did not hold her jaw. Tears fell like torrents from her innocent eyes. However, he kept soothing her like a caring father with an audible hushing, so she calmed down upon hearing his soothing breath so close to her ear.

"Liza-Chan, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it. That stupid boy didn't leave the boy, and we…?" Sakuragi tried to justify what happened, but Rukawa looked sharply at him, which scared him, so he stopped talking.

"Are you ok?" asked Miyagi in concern.

She tried to nod to assure him that she was ok, and that it was not his fault, but she felt dizzy and could not control her head. It was then when Kaede held her head with his hand and rested her head close to his chest.

Liz could smell his sweet body's smell. _She really missed him_!

"Let me take you to the hospital, Liz, you don't look ok." Said Kaede gently.

Her nose was bleeding as well.

"My…nose… hurts, I can't…breathe, Kaede." She said slowly through her tears.

A sudden feeling of pain stabbed his heart.

Therefore, like a Greek god, he lifted her lightly in his arms, and ordered her to rest her head on his chest, and he asked for a cab to take her to the hospital.

Kaede inhaled the scent of her hair, and a quick shiver ran through his body.

Kaede was replaying the memory of that particular afternoon in his head over and over. He suddenly felt afraid and wanted to protect her when that Idiot slammed her innocent and small face with the ball. He felt both fear and anger and wanted to kill Sakuragi, for he caused _His Liz_ pain. He made those sweet eyes cry, which had torn his heart into pieces, but he let go of anger once I saw her about to fall. Instinctly, he hurried to catch her before she would fall. Her tears made him wish to die, if that would stop her pain. She was a little helpless girl crying in his arms. He could not do anything to soothe her...or seemingly, his whispers did.

_How could she move him that way? _

_What powers did she have over him? _

For that, he had no answer, but all he knew was that he wanted to hold her tight close to his heart, and take away all her pain. He wanted to smell her strawberry-smelled hair and to feel her breath against his chest...Holding her in his arms was all what he wanted from this fading world...

Then the _MIRACLE _happened.

She suddenly murmured in low voice, may be unconsciously...but she said it...

_"Kaede...I Love YOU."_

Hearing that, he felt that he could not take this sweet weakness any more. For the first time in his life, his legs would not carry him anymore_..._

_"Liz, My Liz_, _I love you too my angel." He sighed._

Liz stayed home for a week. Her nose was broken, and some stitches on her lower lip, for it was badly hurt.

After Kaede took her to the hospital, he took her home; she was unconscious due to the sedatives and drugs effects.

She kept wondering why he came back, she had thousands questions in her head and the answers for none.

"How are you doing, Liza?" asked her mother.

"Fine, thanks, mother." She replied shortly.

"It was Kaede who brought you home in case you are wondering." Said her mother indifferently.

"Why would I wonder, mother?"

"I'm just telling you, why it has to be a big deal for me to tell you anything?" asked her mother sharply.

"Because you always have a second meaning or a point of anything you say!"

"I'm just telling you that if my business with the Rukawas is ruined because of your stupidity, I don't know what I'd do with you, young lady." Warned her mother.

"See! Here you go, mom!"

"Behave. Elizabeth Yamagato!"

"Would you just go away? I wanna sleep!" she buried her head in the pillows and started to cry.

"Why are you crying now?"

"You will never understand, mother, so just leave for God's sake."

"He would come to see you, you know!"

"No, he won't. I won't let it happen."

However..._IT_ had to happen.

A couple of days later.

"Missy, you have a visitor, shall I let him in?"

"Who is he, Miko?" Liz asked her old maid.

" !"

"What? Let him in."

Who could be that man? Of course he was not her grandpa, because he passed away, so who was using his name?

The door was opened to let none but Kaede inside her room.

"I should have guessed."

"How are you?" he asked.

"Why are you here?"

He said nothing.

"Kaede, you'd better talk! I have no nerves for that silent mood of yours. Answer me!" she ordered.

''To check on you Lil One...I...missed you." He said shyly.

Liz blushed, and felt her whole body going on fire regardless of her confusion of having him back in her life again.

"So, how are you now?" he asked gently.

"Fine, thank you!" she replied fiercely.

_"I love you, Kaede!"_ she wished to say.

He smiled as if he read her mind…

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Why are you smiling?"

"A better question: Why are you so defensive?"

She got out of bed and moved towards the window.

"This is funny! See, I used to spend hours here watching your mansion from my window, wondering if I'm ever to see your face again." She smiled weakly.

He opened his mouth to say something but she singled him with her finger to stop.

"The thing is that I liked you…loved you since I first laid an eye on you, I knew I had no chance of being the girl of your dreams! You were so closed up, and it made me feel so vulnerable, and then you kicked me out of your life for almost a year." She went on with her stream of thoughts.

"Because I was scared." He interrupted.

"Scared?" she asked.

"I didn't let anyone to be that close in my life before, Liz! I was scared that when you see the monster within that you would run away. I was scared that you would break me, I didn't want to lose you."

"So you chose to get rid of me to avoid losing me! Well done then." She clapped her hands.

He did not say a word.

"And then, when I had someone as gentle and caring like Aki in my life, you chose to ruin that, as if you didn't do enough damage."

"I couldn't stand it."

"I broke his heart because of you! He despises me, and for that, I had to change schools. I could not look into his eyes and see the pain I caused him. After all of this, you leave me not knowing what I should do, and then you are here! Excuse me, but this is very hard to process for me."

"You kicked me out!"

"You made me your last option, Kaede! You decided to tell me that you were leaving in the last moment! Honestly, what did you expect me to say? Oh Kaede I love you, lets run away." She threw a pillow on him.

"I kissed you!" He shouted at her.

"So what?" she screamed.

"And you kissed me back."

"No, I didn't"

"You did, like what you are doing now."

"What?"

He held her in his arms, trapped her hands in his, and kissed her deeply. She tried to fight him at first, and then she gave in and kissed him back.

He looked gently at her with those charming blue eyes of his.

"Oh damn!" she whispered.

He kissed her again

"I loved you all that long." She gave in into tears in his chest.

"I know."

"I used to walk around the people who knew you for the hope of hearing them talking about you. Why did you come back, Kaede, why? I was that close to let go of you! To finally forgive you and move on." She sobbed.

"Ayako told me!"

"What?"

"It is written on your face. She said that in her letter to me."

"I'm not normal any more; I've to warn you, you will date a crazy girl." She smiled.

"Who said that I want to date you?"

She frowned.

"I want to love you, Liz."

She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I missed you like hell."

"Me too."

"It is nice to have you back, Kay."

"It nice to see you again, Liz."

"So? You grew a beard!" she smiled wickedly.

"Well, that!" he played with his hair to hide his blushing face, and she knew that was so unlike the Ice prince that everybody used to know. It seemed to her that the self-centered guy existed no more.

"I kinda like it, but it makes you look older, and ugly." She got her tongue out of her mouth.

"I like it."

"Let me shave it for you." She offered.

"No."

She kissed him, and put her hands in his pants back pockets, so his lips curled at the corner forming a small smile.

"Well."

She kissed him again.

Kaede sat down on the chair while she sat on his lap and started shaving his beard, slowly and gently. He bent over neck and kissed her, and she laughed.

"Stop it."

"No."

"Stop, Kay, it tickles."

He kissed her again.

"How about now?" He asked.

"That's way much better, and now, young man, you have got me all covered with shaving cream." she laughed.

He kissed her forehead.

"I should be really mad at you now and throwing you with pillows, but I don't know what powers you have over me!" she said in wonder.

He just shrugged.

"We are crazy, you know that? Whereas we should be fighting, we are kissing and shaving your handsomely old-styled beard!"

"I know I'm not normal, but you?" he asked.

"Well, I broke the heart of a sweet guy, because I wanted someone who reminded me of you."

"That was twisted, and don't talk about him."

"He was a part of my life."

"I hate that part."

She tried to change the subject when she saw that he was upset.

"Ha! Look at what you did! You travelled to my home country to get away!" she smirked.

"But that was my plan a long time ago." He stated.

"I'm sure of that!" she laughed.

He frowned.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I hoped to find you there! I saw you in every street, court, and in the face of every girl and kid." He said.

"Oh! My boy became a poet, a lover, and an awkwardly talkative one, if people see you talk like this, they might think that you are in love." She teased him.

"Shut up!"

"You know it is true! You are losing your charm, dear boy. Girls find you attractive because you are such an introvert, so I think you will lose your charm when you start bubbling like what you are doing now!" she got her tongue out to tease him.

"I'm not introvert."

"Ha! Yeah, talk about the silent facial gestures that you use to hold a silent conversation with everyone!" she laughed.

"Hnn!"

"See! Damn, I thought that you problems in talking when I first saw you!" she laughed.

"That's a lie! You thought I don't speak English!" he defended himself.

"Hehe, well! I must feel happy that you remember our first conversation, but that doesn't still change the fact that you are losing that charm of being silent!"

"I guess we know whom do we own the honor for!" he frowned.

"Me?! Oh, no I'm innocent your honor, I don't know anything about such a crime." She raised her hands to act as if she was surrendering to him.

"Well, I find you guilty of being aggressive to me for 2 years."

She kissed him.

"Now?" she asked.

"I think I can forgive you."

She smiled.

Since that day, Liz has been smiling way much more than she usually did in the past two years, and the reason was Kaede.

They have been dating for almost of a year now, and they became seniors when they went through another drama...

End of chapter three.

Stay tuned for the next chapter, and please post me some reviews! What do you think so far?

Thanks;)


	4. Chapter 4: My Everything -Seniors-

Seniors!

Going into classes and seeing Kaede's empty chair made Liz sad. They had a stupid fight because she saw Haruko kissing him. He tried to explain to her that he did not know it was Haruko, but as mad as Liz was, she kicked him out of her house and swore that she would never speak to him again. She did not believe him.

To Liz's surprise, she found Mitsui walking beside her one day after school.

Where the hell did he come from? She had no idea, however; seeing him was pleasant.

Mitsui had graduated from Shohoku High two years ago, but he never missed a weekend in Shohoku High to check on the team, and keep an eye on their new manageress; none but Liz Stanley.

"Hey" he said cheerfully.

"Hey you!" She replied.

"Going home?" he asked...as if it was not obvious!

"Yup, where else to? What are you doing here? I mean...the team, I..."

"What a cruel lady you are! Liza, I thought of picking you up and having a little chat."

"But aren't you here to check on the team?"

"No, I'm here today to see you only." He said pleasantly.

"Me? But why?" I asked with little confusion.

"That's why; you don't seem to be doing alright to me."

"No, but I'm just perfectly fine."

He narrowed his eyes and stared at me.

"I swear...honestly, I'm...believe me I'm fine, why wouldn't I be fine?"

"One more 'fine' and that would prove my point."

_"Of course I am not fine. I miss my lovely dark boyfriend." She thought_

Liza didn't feel like telling Mitsui anything, she had an inner feeling that she shouldn't be open with him.

Mitsui was talking forever, but she did not catch up a word of what he was saying.

They were passing by the court on their way out of the school, and Liz heard noise coming from the court and heard someone shouting at them. That should have been her! She was no longer there, because of the stupid mistake Kaede had done. She quitted that job that she loved , because Kaede was just Kaede…he always knew how to hurt her.

However….

He never failed to let her heart skip a beat, and to give her that sweet shiver down her spine...

_"Oh Kaede...do you miss me like I miss you?" _She mused with tears in her eyes.

"Hey! Liza? Still in there?" asked Mitsui.

"Huh? Sorry you were saying?"I replied.

"That you are sort of flying with your wings to the court...you miss him? I mean them, right?"

"I miss...them...wish I was there."

"They miss you too; you know...you can go back if you want." He suggested

"You know I can't."

"Yes, you can, why not?"

"No, I can't...I won't...I don't want to talk about it."

"You and Ayako are the best manageress we have ever had...so yes, they would be confused without you. Just because he was stupid enough to cheat on you, doesn't mean you punish the whole team by leaving."

"Why?"I asked in vain

"Why what?"

"Why do you help me? Why do you come to see me where as you should go check on the team?"

"Because you are my friend, besides, I don't want you to end up like me."

"Friend? I never had any friend like him...but...and now he is..."

"I'm _NOT_ like him." He said fiercely.

"Yeah, I know, I didn't mean it, sorry, I meant... he was...my everything, unfortunately...my friend, my..."

"But I am here, and he is not. Isn't that enough? I am here and I want to help you my friend, but you are not giving me a chance."

"No, it is enough; sorry I did not mean it. Sorry I just speak up my mind so loudly sometimes, and Kaede always understood that. Oops, sorry, I do not mean it really, I will stop talking now, and can we change the subject please?"

"Ok." he said angrily

"You are upset, right?"

"No, I just do not understand you. Why do you cling to what reminds you of your pain?"

**_"A hundred days have made me older, since the last time that I saw your pretty face, a thousand lies have made me colder, and I don't think I can look at this the same, but all the miles that separate disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face."_**

_"You never will, because, Kaede was the only one who really understood me, and you all thought him care-less, Ha!"_

"Don't you, Mitsui? I'm sure you have a similar story, you have said that you don't want me to end up like you...like you in what? What happened to you? So tell me instead of preaching me for something you can't do yourself?" she asked defensively, hoping to change the subject.

"Why are you getting so defensive like that?" he wondered

_"Because you are insulting my boyfriend, that's why!" she wished to say._

"I don't know."

"Ok Liza Yamagato, I'll tell you, so you may understand why I was so angry...and why I want to help you."

Mitsui started telling her his story. He used to have a girl friend, and they loved each other madly, but she left him for someone else, and he was haunted by all the memories and places that they went to together, he even used to spend hours in the very same park in which they broke up in. The story was not interesting to Liza, but she could feel his pain. She understood what he meant when he said that he didn't want her to end up like him….But all of that didn't matter, because she and Kaede were different…They were supposed to be forever.

**_"Everything I know and everywhere I go. It gets hard but it won't take away my love, and when the last one falls. When it's all said and done. It gets hard but it won't take away my love for you..."_**

Kaede, on the other hand, dreaded seeing Liz, for he knew he would not be able to hide his pain, but he was dying to see her, yet she would just disappear if he tried to find her. However, unintended, he used to walk by her house every night after practice to make sure she was ok.

He knew that she did not eat or talk much since that day!

She always told him that he was her everything, her lover, brother, father, and even mother...

"So_ please, please, Kay, don't you ever try to take that away from me. It would be as if you take my breath away. I will not survive."_

"You survived without me, Liz. You quickly started dating the stupid Mitsui...and I did not miss a night patrol to your house! No hells would be enough for me to burn him in, just because he was holding your hand."He thought

_"So, here we are… me, you, and the idiot Mitsui. It happened when I least expected it."_ He mused on seeing Liz walking out of school with Mitsui.

She blushed when she saw him, yet he was too angry.

"Oh! Hey Kaede, how are you doing?" asked Mitsui stupidly.

"My name is Rukawa, D'ohou." Kaede replied angrily.

"Oh! Never mind him Mitsui, let us go!" she said carelessly.

She looked indifferent, to tease him, but he could not help seeing her acting as if she did not care. He grabbed her from her arm fiercely with a threatening look. He did not intend to horrify her, but his anger over came him.

"You! You should…." he said angrily.

"What? Am I supposed to feel threatened? Let go of me," She replied sharply.

She was as angry to see Kaede as angry as Kaede was to see her with that jerk.

"Hey, hey leave her alone, stupid." Interrupted Mitsui

"Get lost, baka!" Kaede glared at him and kicked him away.

_"She is my girl, and he was not supposed to be anywhere near her." He mentally noted_

"Let me go, you jerk." She screamed at Kaede with her furious teary eyes, which moved something inside of him.

"Ok, Liz, I'll let you go for now, and do humanity a favor and get away from that idiot." He softened.

Liz knew he would have killed Mitsui, if he hadn't looked to her teary eyes. He was jealous. However, she hoped that he would say that he missed her, but he would not. He had already said it before, and she shut him down roughly.

"He hates me." She whispered to herself.

"That...that arrogant boy...I'm gonna...," whined Mitsui.

"Oh! Pray, do not mind him, he is just jealous..." she replied quietly.

_Furious or happy with Kay's actions? Liz could never tell._

Later on that day, when Yurika Yamagato saw her daughter gloomy, she guessed it was because of Kaede, and she wanted to cool of the situation, but that didn't happen!

"You still love him, don't you? You need to talk to him at least instead of shutting him down every time he tries to talk to you, you owe him that." asked Liz's mother anxiously.

"Wow mother, it seems that you are getting old or something! You want to have a normal mother-daughter conversation with me! That's weird."

"You will never change! You will always be as cynical and unbearable like your father."

"See! This is why we will never have a normal conversation! You can never stop comparing me to the man who destroyed our life and it hurts me! Stop doing that."

"When you know how to talk like a decent Japanese girl, I'll stop,"

"That is the thing, mom! I'm not Japanese! I'm American and you have to accept that! Gee, everyone in this damn country accepts me except my own mother!"

"I can't bear that! This conversation is over!" said her mother while slamming the door and leaving.

"Yes, mom…I still love him, but I cannot show him that. He hurt me...deeply, and I cannot let go of the memories or even the pain...It seems like I am stuck in the middle, I just cannot help it... I still love him in every sense of the word _'love_', but he had to be that stupid and cheat on me with that girl." Said Liz to herself.

Her mother's words were so prophetic for she ran into Kaede in the next day.

He was coming into the class, whereas she was going out to ask the teacher about a part she did not understand. She did not want to see him. It would hurt her a lot.

But...prophetically, she owed him a talk...and there he was, looking for one.

"Hey, Liz…nice to see you." He said

"You too, Kay...Rukawa-kun."

"How are you doing?" He demanded a detailed answer, but realizing that he can get none, he put it in such a way anyways.

"Fine" Her short answer depressed him, and she knew it.

_"Fine! Liar...tells him that you miss him, that you are sorry, and that you are not dating that stupid Mitsui as he thinks!" Liz thought._

"Good!"

_"Good? Good? I am not good, she is not good; tell her that you miss her like hell..." He thought._

There was a brief moment of silence, and then he talked again.

"Fine, _'B.B'_ is taking up all my time."

'B.B' was the nickname she came up with for basketball.

"And how is the team?"

"Fine...they miss you, Lizzie!"

_"I miss you too...terribly," he thought._

_"I miss you too, Kay." she thought._

"They do! How nice of them!" Liz said with a little smile.

"We won yesterday, but we need our manageress, Liz." he asked hopefully to get a different answer from what he was expecting.

"I don't think so, after what happened…. I..." she stammered.

"But Liz, you know that I didn't kiss her."

"I really have to go." She ran away.

_"Don't stop me, don't stop me." She prayed._

Yet, Kaede was just being Kaede...!

"Hey Liz?" he called her aloud.

"Yes?" Liz answered while perceiving him coming towards her.

"Pick you up after school?" He asked with his sweet and charming eyes.

"No need to."

"I want to."

_"I'll never let go, Lil One, I never did and I'm not planning to now. I'll get you back one day." he thought._

"I'll meet you by the gates after school." She said plainly.

Liz could not understand why he was doing that. But she waited for him after school for 20 minutes and he didn't show up. She felt frustrated, because he forgot her as usual.

Typical of him!

**However!**

A freshman called Hiroshi whom Liz used to give extra practice and instructions to be up to Kaede's expectations, was running towards her. Fear was all over his face. He was so pale as if a ghost chased him.

Liz's heart beated so quickly like hammer. She knew he had some bad news for her.

"Oh! Missy, something terrible has happened." He said while gasping.

"What Hiro? Tell me, you are scaring the hell out of me, what happened?" she panicked.

"The captain..." he said that and stopped!

**Kaede!**

"What happened to him?" Liz screamed perceiving something bad.

"He was run over by a car when he tried to save an old man crossing the road."

Liz was thunder-struck... She could not understand a word of what he was saying. Her legs couldn't carry her, so she fell to the ground and Hiro tried to help her stand up.

_A car hit Kaede! _

"No, no, no that cannot be real. Take me to him now." She screamed through her tears and screams.

Ten minutes later…

She found Sakuragi and Ayako in the hospital.

"My heart will stop, Hana. Tell me what happened? **MY Kaede is hurt; **where is he? How is he? Please tell me. This cannot be real," she cried out.

"He is going to be just fine, Liza-Chan...He is one tough guy." Sakuragi tried to calm her down.

She raised her head to look at the redhead boy waiting for the relief to hit her, but it did not, yet he nodded.

Neither he, nor Kaede liked one another, since they were freshmen. Then, they, somehow when they were sophomores, started to soften to each other and respect one another, though not as close friends. Liz did not know what happened to them, but they did not fight as they used to...maybe they had grown up somewhere in the middle!

The doctor came out from the operation's room, and Sakuragi was the first one to talk to him.

"How is he doctor?" he asked.

"He has some broken ribs, and a simi-concussion. If he survives the coming 24 hours, he will be OK. However, we may need blood-transfer in a couple of hours, because he bled a lot internally, any family member here?"

"Yes, that would be me, doctor." Liz replied instantly.

"Are you his sister?" asked the doctor in a skeptical way, for he noticed that she was not Japanese

"Sister? No, I am...his girlfriend."

"No, that wouldn't do to sign for papers; I need a family member please. Can you call them? Only a family member can stay with him," the doctor said while overlooking her.

"I AM THE ONLY FAMILY HE HAS, SO I WOULD DO FOR THE TIME BEING. I know everything about him for God's sake, and I would be the one paying the costs here, so you will have to talk to me!" She screamed hysterically, and everyone looked terrified.

Sakuragi grabbed the doctor from his collar severely.

"Come on man! Talk to her or I will..." Hanamichi threatened.

Terrified as he was, the doctor took her to the examination room to take blood from her. Then he let her into Kaede's room.

**06:20. P.m.**

Liz had so many thoughts and questions in her head when she was holding the door handle to open the door to his room.

Will he play again? He certainly can't survive without Basketball! How bad is his injury?

Sakuragi batted her shoulder.

"He will be ok." he said.

Liz smiled weakly, and wondered if he would.

She opened the door, but was afraid to come in to see the man she loves lying in the bed helplessly as he was. Kaede's life was really on the stake, and she stupidly thought that he forgot her because he was Haruko.

"How could I be that stupid!" she said quietly.

She moved closer to his bed, and sat beside him. Her strength failed her, and she could not stand up. Looking at him made it harder. She passed her fingers through his smooth black hair, moving to his bandaged forehead, and beautiful cheek. Kaede was seriously injured.

Her heart bounced with pain.

**09:30. p.m.**

"Do you remember when you came back from America and you grew a little beard? Well, I am not allowing you to do this again. Do you remember what happened that day? You told me how much you loved me. I was mad at you that day, but deep inside, I was extremely happy to see you, touch you, and above all, to know that you still loved me regardless how rude I was to you before you left… C'mon Kaede, wake up, you cannot do that to me...please...wake up…talk to me." she begged through my tears

_"Liz...my Liz" he said._

_Her heart skipped another beat._

Kaede did not wake up as she hoped he would when she talked to him_. Her miracle did not happen!_

**10:10. P.m.**

"How ironic is my life. Kaede was dying to get back to me; and now, here I am, begging him to wake up, to take me back, to forgive me...and when I had so many chances to do that, I let my pride step in between! Please forgive me, wake up."

**01:30 a.m**.

"How could you do that to me? I am the one who is supposed to be in pain and you are supposed to help me! You cannot be in pain; you are untouchable, remember? You idiot! Why did you ruin everything we had? We were great together...I think, Kaede, wake up...you know you are my everything."

**02:00 a.m.**

A nurse came to ask her to sign some papers. The nurse was skeptical, but she could not say a word for fear of Sakuragi's reactions when he would show up next day...so Liz exploded impatiently.

"Yes, I am his girlfriend, but I am all what he has…literally. His mother is dead, and he is father is a businessman in the other side of the world for almost 6 months now, and I can't be possibly calling him now to tell him that his son's life is on the stake. I cannot do that. I promised him a year ago that I'd keep his son happy and to take care of him, so I can't….I can't tell him that I, not only made his son unhappy, but he was hit by a car… so I'm all what you have and you have to accept that."

She curled her lips as if she wanted to say, "I didn't ask you, I'm just doing my job."

**02:20 a.m.**

Liza donated two more liters of her blood to Kaede, since he was B- and I was O, so O was a giver to any blood type.

**04:00 a.m.**

The hours passed so heavily and he did not wake up. Yet his vital signs were stable.

Liz looked at the window, it was almost twilight time, and she could not open her eyes any longer.

End of Chapter four.


	5. Chapter 5: Different Troubles!

**06:45 a.m.**

**"**Where am I? Why does my head hurt? Why is Liz asleep in front of me on a chair? Oh! I remembered now... I was saving the poor man from the mad car! God! the car hit me instead! Damn, Will I play again? For how long I have been lying here? And Liz seems very tired even in her sleep! She must have been crying…I missed you Liz Stanley." so many astray thoughts rushed into Kaede's tired head, causing him sudden ache.

Suddenly, as if Liz was able to hear his thoughts, she opened her beautiful sleepy eyes slowly, as if she was trying to figure how she ended up sleeping like that, and where she was, and who was playing with her hair? Then she straightened herself up and looked at her boyfriend in shock.

He smiled!

"Morning, Liz." he said weakly. His voice was so tired and quiet

She looked at him with huge O-surprised-lips on her face, for fractions of seconds.

"Oh My! You are awake! My God! You are wake...Thank God, Kay, you are awake...gosh I was that close to panic, I didn't want to think that I might lose you."

She said while jumping over the bed and hugging him tightly through her tears.

"Ouch, ouch, Liz, dear, I appreciate your fear, but you are hurting me." Kaede said in pain.

She was afraid to lose him, and that made him happy.

"Gosh! Sorry Kay, but you nearly caused me a heart attack, I was afraid of losing you without..." and she stopped without finishing the sentence. She did not want to say it...that she still loved him!

"Without what, Liz?" he asked softly.

She tried to hide it, but she could not. Her face failed her by growing red as she looked at him.

"Umm...It's not like I'm dating guys who are run over by cars every day." she said joyfully

"You are still funny, Lizzie." He smiled

"And you are much more of a talkative lately! Yet, still a charming Captain." She said sweetly.

"Thank you Liz for being here." Kaede said

"Dear Rukawa-boy, I know you for a long time now, and I know that you are always up to a trick of yours every time you smile like that...what are you up to?"

"I'm bandaged, Lizzie, and tied to bed, what could I possibly do?" he said innocently

"I don't know I don't trust you," she said while smiling.

"So, maybe I will trick you after all Liz, who knows?"

Kaede wanted to hug her, but considering the fact that one of his arms was tied to the bed, he had to act smartly and entrap her. Yet, she did not object. Instead, she looked at him with a blushing face and dreamy hazel eyes.

"Kay...let go of me, you are not being yourself." she said trying to bring the boundaries back between them again.

"Aren't I? You deny what we have for a stupid mistake, and you don't want us to have another chance, why are you so stubborn? I could have died, Liz!" He said seriously.

"I know! I just need some time. And what matters now is that you are ok."

"We always had our ups and downs, what has changed? We face everything together but now all what you do is frustrating me!"

The team came in to see their captain when Kaede was about to talk some sense into her. She tried to sneak out to go home, change her clothes, and get some rest. However, Sakuragi noticed that as if he knew what she was thinking of.

"Hey, Liza-Chan, we expect our manageress back again. At least until the lazy captain recovers right people?" he said

"Yes, Liza-chan." replied the whole team.

Kaede nodded as well.

"And since when you and the captain are so friendly, Sakuragi-kun?" She asked skeptically.

"Since this is the only way to get you back in the team." Grinned Sakuragi.

Kaede was released from the hospital a week later; Liz spent most of the week with him.

She had to go home though occasionally to bring some clothes for her, him, and some stuff she needed. At that time, she found a neatly folded letter addressed to her in Kaede's library.

Dear Elizabeth,

I don't know how to start, or what to say! All what I know is that am the stupidest man alive, do you know why? Because I took you for granted. How would some stupid words from someone I don't know get me so upset like that! He said that he wants to have you and I got angry, but I took it all on you and you weren't patient enough. I don't blame you, who would handle such a monster! I wish I can tell you how sorry I'm in person, but I can't, not out of pride, but out of fear. I fear getting close to anyone, I won't be able to handle losing you like I lost my mom. I shielded my heart for five years, and I can't seem to be able to act normally around the one person on this planet that I care about: You.

I wish you can forgive me, Liz Stanley.

Sorry again for insulting you like that.

Yours,

Kaede Rukawa.

"You stupid boy! You would have saved us two years if you had the guts to give me that!" mused Liz furiously as she read it, but she tried to understand his motives and causes.

She mentioned the letter to Kaede when she was driving him home in her mother's car, and he smile painfully.

"Whatever happened in the past is over now, Kay, no regrets. Let's think that it wasn't meant for us to be together yet when that happened." She said hoping to ease the situation when she saw how annoyed he looked when she mentioned the letter.

A couple of weeks later!

Liz had to go back to the basketball world again, however, letting go of the past was not as easy as she thought it would be. The memories haunted her.

"Glad to see you here again, Lil One.," Kaede whispered in her ears.

"Kaede? What are you doing here? You should..." She said in surprise.

"Be resting in my bed, I know, but...," he said with innocent eyes.

"You couldn't stand it. Well, guess what? I won't let you anywhere near the ball and games till...let me see, Next Year!" She said in a motherly tone.

"What? You little..."

"Ha ha, kidding! Just until you get better, and I do not mean Mitsui's version of better. I mean better as better, ok?"

"I'm not planning to be in anyway like that brat," he said angrily.

"Do we have a deal?"

"Yes, yes...ok? Bossy!" he sniffed.

"That's why I'm the manageress...you asked for it, so don't blame me!"

"So, you are back?"

"Yes, I'm back...it's nice to be back."

"It's nice to have you back, Lizzie."

"Thank you!"

There was a brief moment of silence….

"So, Kay...I..."

"Yes!"

"I was thinking maybe I can walk home together like old days, and you can't say no." She suggested.

"Who said I'm going to?" he thought cheerfully.

Out of nowhere, Mitsui had to show up to ruin their chances fixing the damaged relationship.

"Rukawa-kun, Hi, wish you speedy recovery," he said formally.

"Hnn."

"Well, take care of yourself, mate. You do not want to end up like me, right?" he laughed.

_"Like you? Gee, no thanks! What a freak!" Kaede thought._

"Well, we would better get going, Liza, wouldn't we? Woo, man! Look at the time." Mitsui said.

"Going to where? And I..." Liz said while looking at Kaede, as if she was trying to explain to him that she did not know what brought Mitsui here, and that he was not her boyfriend as he assumed!

"What is it?"

"You can go, Liz, see you tomorrow or whenever." Kaede said impatiently.

"But! Kaede!"

"See you!" he said while limping away. He was so angry.

"We could drop you home, if you like."

"Mitsui!" Liz shouted to silence him. However, Kaede was utterly gone already.

"Why on earth did you do that?" She asked furiously.

"What? Saving you? Your welcome, Liz!" he replied sarcastically.

"He is sick for God's sake! What is your problem with him?"

"You are! He is fooling you by his 'sickness'."

"Oh! Yeah, he got himself hit by a car just to fool me, dumb! Thanks a lot for making me look like a fool."

"Why the hell do you care about him still? He cheated on you for God's sake! Liz. Why do you need a reminder? You are so naive."

"First of all, cut that 'Liz' shit short, and secondly, it's my life, so you don't get to choose for me what is good and what is bad, I'll choose what I want even if it's going to hurt me..._ YES, I choose Kaede and I LOVE him_, and that's my_ BUSINESS_, not yours! I'm done with your stupid actions." She said while leaving the court.

"You are right, it is your business! Go for the creep who will always hurt you." he shouted.

Kaede walked home ALONE. He was so angry and outraged. He tried to ignore the whole issue, but he couldn't.

"Why the hell she had to be with that freak? Damn it, we fight for two weeks and she takes a new boyfriend!" he kicked an empty can fiercely with his leg.

**_ "He is taking you away from me, and I'm letting him!" Kaede shouted in the empty space._**

He remembered how she looked like when she opened the side door of the basketball court so quietly to surprise him, but instead she was the one who got surprised, for she saw Haruko kissing him. Then she whispered some words to his ears.

"Forget about this Yankee freak, and come with you. I will take to places you have never been into. I will make you happy. I know you better than she could ever know. Take me Kaede, and I will make you the happiest man ever." she said while nuzzling his neck.

Liz was stoned in her place with tears rolling down my eyes like a crying Roman statue.

"That's not true." Words escaped her mouth.

When he saw her, his facial expressions changed in less than a second and he pushed Haruko aside severely.

"Lizzie!" he called her out loudly, but she did not respond. She just ran away while sobbing loudly. She didn't want to listen to his explanations.

"Liz, wait, please! It is not what you think"

Liz ran quickly home, and cried for hours in her room. She tried to find a reason for what he did, and found none.

_WHY?_

She heard a gentle knock on the door, and it was none but his.

"Liz, open up, listen to me." he said calmly.

"No, go away."

"OPEN UP NOW!" he ordered loudly.

"Of all the people, Kaede, you are the last one who should come here, and ask me to listen. Go away!" she shouted through her tears.

"Let me explain."

"No." she repeated stubbornly.

"I know that it doesn't make sense to you, but if you let me explain, you'll see how wrong you are."

"Me wrong? Oh that is new." She said sarcastically.

She opened the door and shouted at him.

"I don't think Kaede, I react, remember? You told me that once, so I am just reacting to your action. And yes, for me, pretty much of it looks like you were kissing her, for God's sake."

"I wasn't kissing her; she forced a kiss on me." He reached out for her arm.

"Oh really, and you were too shy to stop her, right?" she pushed away his hand.

"Listen, and don't be stupid, Elizabeth."

"Like hell I would listen to you. Get out of here."

His face grew red out of anger.

"Ok, idiot, you will never see me again."

He slammed the door, and she broke down.

"I hate you."

_"The one I hate and I adore, you are my poison and my cure! I hate you." She mused while crying_

Problems!

Liz did not talk to Mitsui since he offended Kaede. He was crossing his limits as if he was a close friend. She was actually uncomfortable with his friendship, so fighting with him put her mind at ease a little bit.

"When did we become friends in the first place?" she wondered.

It all started when he constantly showed up to watch the team practices, even though he was supposed to be busy with college-life, however, Liz never noticed that he constantly came to see her, he even dropped checking on the team after she broke up with Kaede. He started to call her and show up constantly around her, and take her out to cheer her up. She failed to see that Mitsui was falling for her, and trying hard to destroy any possibility of her and Kaede getting back together.

However, her peace of mind didn't last for a long time, because he called her a week later to apologize for the whole situation, declaring that it was none of his business.

On the other hand, Kaede was still in a very bad mood and temper, because of Mitsui. He was somehow tough with everybody in the team-practice, but he softened a little when I showed up.

"Morning guys, what's the matter, Rukawa-boy; I can hear you screaming from the class!" Liz said cheerfully.

"Shut up!" he shouted furiously.

"Guys, the practice is over, you may go, there's no need for you to practice today. Good job everyone. But I expect you all here tomorrow at 7:00 a.m., we need to make use of the week-end."

The team left after thanking Liza-Chan for releasing them away from Rukawa's anger, and luckily enough, Sakuragi wasn't there, otherwise it would have been a huge fight.

Liz knew that she had to deal with Kaede's mood... and she knew what it would be about.

"What's the matter? The guys are doing fine, so why are you being so bitchy with them?"

"That's easy for you to say, you are never around here, manageress, so you can't really tell." He said under his breath.

_"He is so upset because of Mitsui." She mused._

"Look at me, and tell me what's your problem, young man."She ordered.

"None of your damn business." he replied fiercely.

"Woo, somebody is in a bad mood."

She reached out for his hand, but he pushed her away.

"Easy cowboy, what's the matter?"

_"You and your jerk are the 'matter', is he better than me?" he wished to say_.

"Cut the caring shit short, and leave me alone."

"Don't you dare swearing at me, I'm here to help you, so don't turn it on me. What's you freaking problem?" Liz got furious.

"Your services aren't needed."

"Fine be me, loser!"

She was about to leave the court, when he said in an audible voice, "Why him, Liz?"

"What? Whom are you talking about?" she was surprised.

"You know whom I'm talking about...he is not even good enough for you, that jerk. And talk about that we have a fight for two weeks, so you go and date the first jerk you meet."

"Flash news for cow boy, he isn't my boyfriend, because the '_jerk_' who was more than enough for me cheated on me, and broke my heart to the extent that I can't let go of him, or be with any other jerk. Are you happy now?" Shouted Liz.

"Liz, you are just being stubborn."

"Well, that's the one thing I've learned from you."

"I didn't cheat on you!"

"Yeah, whatever..."

Liz left without looking back.

Among all those hard days that Kaede and Liz had, the finals of the national tournaments were the hardest. The team managed to make it to the finals against Kainan High. The boys were somehow depressed, as they lost to Kainan bitterly two years ago. They never let go of the pain of their bitter loss. Kaede used to call them "Mortal enemies".

Every senior feared meeting Kainan, for fear of having the same disgraceful game they had against them two years ago, even Kaede.

"So what, guys? They defeat you once, so you fear them forever? You have won the national cup last year, so you are the champions, isn't that right, Captain?" Liza shouted at the team, and looked at Kaede waiting for support.

"What the heck? Kaede! A little help here?"

He said nothing.

"I don't know a rule that says that they are better than you for defeating you once or for winning the tournament for God-knows-how-many-times, but I know that last year champion was my team, you guys, so I know we can do it again, if you have the will. Acting like freaked out children, and clearing the stage to Kainan aren't on our list for this year, and I'm not going to allow you to do so. So, don't disappoint me. This is our last year here, me, The captain, Sakuragi-kun, and most of you as well, so let's make it a year of glory, and lets have fun, guys! Show me your best, and make me proud. So what do you say?"

"You have heard the lady, team, let's do it!" shouted Sakuragi while holding Liz and Kaede's hands up in the air.

"We have to win, this year's champion is Shohku-High, understood?" shouted Kaede.

"Yes, Captain." They shouted back.

The practice continued until 10:00 p.m., and then the boys went home to get some rest leaving Kaede and Liz alone to lock up the place.

"Thank you, Liz." Kaede was in a better mood.

"No need to say that, Captain, I'll see you tomorrow."

He stood in her way out.

"Let me take you home." he said tenderly.

"But?"

"Is he coming?"

"No, no it's just..."

"Is he bothering you?"

"God, no!"

"Good!"

"Kaede, he is not..."

Liz was going to tell him that Mitsui was not her boyfriend again, but he interrupted her.

"No, I don't want to waste our time on him, please."

They walked together without saying a word. For Liz, having him beside her made her feel serine.

Suddenly, she stumbled and was about to fall. As quick as always, he caught her swiftly in his arms. She could smell his sweet breath on her cheeks. Liz felt safe and light in his arms, and she wanted to stay in his arms forever, with no pain, no past, no future.

"Are you ok?" he whispered.

"Yeah, I think I'm."

"Good..."

"Kay, about that night, I just wanted..."

"It's ok, don't worry."

"It's just that I...I wasn't..."

"Stop it, Stop, Liz..."

"What?"

"I love you...I love you, Liz, and I can't pretend otherwise. I can't live like that, to be a friend or a captain...I just can't."

"Oh!"

"Let's take it over."

"But I..."

"I swear, Liz, she forced herself, I don't know how it happened, I thought it was you and I wish it didn't happen, but I can't change the past. All what I know is that I love you, and I can't see myself in ten years with anyone but you!"

"Ten years!" she muttered the last words he said in confusion. She didn't know that he had long-term plans, she always assumed that he will get bored with her and leave her like for someone else; someone like Haruko.

"I hate seeing you with him."

"But he is just a friend."

"That's what your innocent eyes see, lil One, I see how he looks at you."

"I've already had a fight with him, and we don't talk."

"Good, but that won't stop him. O, pray, let's not talk about him."

"Sorry, Kay."

She tip-toed and kissed him passionately.

"I missed us." She said

"Me too,"

FROM a far distance, Mitsui was watching them kissing, and he was so annoyed.


	6. Chapter 6:One shot! One opportunity!

**Chapter Six:**

Mitsui

The team won the national tournament, they were so happy, and excited to get their medals, and they were out by the beach celebrating their victory with Liz, Captain Rukawa, and sir Anazi in the Summer festival.

The festival was full of happy people and talent shows. The boys played beach ball, shooting, running races, while Kaede took Liz for a long walk on the beach on the sweet melodies of nature and laughter of happy people. Then Sir Anazi called for him, so he excused himself to go.

It was then when somebody grabbed Liz from behind instantly, and covered her mouth to silence her.

She screamed but nobody heard her in that noisy night.

"Kaede...help!" she screamed.

"I told you once that you are mine." Whispered the kidnapper.

"Mistui?" She tried to talk but his hand over her mouse prevented her.

"Of course it's me silly, whom did you expect? Kaede?" said Mutsui.

She shook her head severely, so he let her speak.

"What the hell are you doing?" She shouted.

"You are mine, you won't leave me again and go to Paris with that jerk, got it Yuko?" (Yuko was the name of Mitsui's ex)

"Yuko? Am not your Yuko, Mitsui, you are drunk, let go of me."

Liz started to panic, if he was drunk, then she was doomed.

"I won't let him to take you back, I saw you kissing the other day."

"What do you want from me? Let me go, now! You are scaring me...Kaede, Kaede, help me, somebody help" She screamed her lungs out.

"You can scream forever and nobody will even hear you, you are mine...mine, do you understand." he screamed at her.

Liza started to cry.

"You are scared now? Huh? Well, that is good, now you will be honest with me. Tell me, Liza, what am I to you? What are we?" he nuzzled her neck.

"My God! What the hell do you mean? Let me go, Kaede, Oh God! Help."

He slapped her on the face several times, and she cried harder, and louder.

"Stop calling for him, because he will not come. He was never there, do you understand? I was the one who was always there for you, but you seem like you need refreshment."

He forced a kiss on her lips, started to touch her, but she pushed him away. He hit her in her stomach, so she spited on him, and shouted for help again.

"What are you doing bitch? Do you think he is going to rescue you? Well, he will not, because you and I are going abroad tonight. Everything is set, and we are going to have a great time there."

Liz was thinking of a way to run for her life, so she managed to free her hand and reach out for the cell phone in her back pocket called Kaede's number which she memorized by heart, while maintaining eye contact with Mitsui. However, he realized what she was doing, and hit her sharply on the head with what seemed to be a gun.

Elizabeth fell on the ground while hiding the phone beneath her hoping that Kaede would answer, and understand that she was in danger.

"What do you want from me? I am not your Yuko, please Mitsui, and let me go," she cried.

"Hello." Kaede picked up the phone. She could hear his calm voice through the phone beneath her.

"Think again, Liz, you aren't going to trick me with that, and if you think of asking for help, I am going to blow your little head with this gun, do you understand? So you would better stand up, and come quietly with me."

"Liz, Liz? What is happening? Is that Mitsui?" she heard kaede's voice coming over the phone.

"Kaede, please come, he is trying to kill me, we are behind the drink booth...oh God, no Mitsui stop."

He shot a bullet towards her, but she escaped it, so he started laughing like a maniac. Then he came closer and smashed the phone with his foot, and then he grabbed her from the hair to stand up.

"If you are not mine, then I will not let you be his. I am going to kill you, Elizabeth."

"He will kill you before you do that."

"Really? I would like to see him doing that, when I am done with you." he laughed dubiously.

"You wouldn't dare..."

He started kissing her neck, while moaning.

"Try me!"

She tried to push him away, but he kept coming back wilder, and with each time she pushed him away, he hit her or slapped her. But after a few seconds, he stopped.

"Now what? I beg you. Please leave me. I am not Yuko." She begged.

"We must leave before your boy comes. Move at once."He ordered.

"In your dreams! Kaede is going to come for me. He is going to kill you."

"Move it woman, or I swear I'll kill you." He pointed the gun at her.

Kaede sneaked behind Mitsui's back. He saw him hitting Liz, and he thought she would fall apart like a porcelain doll, but luckily, she was a bit stronger than what he thought. The idea of her bleeding drove him crazy. His girl was in mortal danger, and was holding on; because she was sure that he was coming for her. Therefore, her rushed to her rescue, and bunched Mitsui in the face so fiercely that he lost his balance, and then he held Liz in his arms, before she fell.

"My guardian angel. Oh! You came for me!" she sighed with relief.

"Did you have any doubts?"

She shook her head.

"He has a gun, we need to run." She panicked again.

"Now, honey I need you to run as fast as you can to where Sakuragi is, stay with him and call the police." he said in a fatherly, yet hopeful tone.

"I cannot leave you alone. He has a gun."

"That is why I need you away. I need to fight him without worrying about you."

"You aren't going anywhere, woman." said Mitsui, who managed to stand up again, and ran towards Kaede.

Kaede pushed her away while screaming "Run Liz, run." and then he and Mitsui started beating each other.

"She is mine. Do you understand? Mine."

"No, she is not, bastard. You will never lay a hand on her again." shouted Kaede.

It was then when Mitsui picked up his gun from the sands, and pointed it towards Kaede.

"My God, things are getting so real, am I watching a movie? This is not happening to me. Mitsui is pointing a gun towards my boyfriend…Rukawa Kaede." Liz thought.

"Now you die, Rukawa Kaede…Liza will be mine forever." Laughed Mitsui

Kaede stood motionless for few seconds. For Liz, it looked like he gave up and would surrender. However, he was thinking of a way to manipulate Mitsui and take the gun. On the other hand, Liz thought of distracting Mitsui to give Kaede a chance to run.

"Mitsui, it is ok, please put your gun down, I'm going with you." She said quietly.

"You are?" asked Mitsui hopefully.

"Yes!"

It was then when Kaede attacked him and managed to knock him down, and consequently, he dropped the gun. Liz ran quickly and picked up the gun, before Mitsui think of reclaiming it, but he was quicker than what she thought. He stood up quickly, and raced her to the gun, and without a second thought, he pointed it towards Kaede, who was still trying to get up.

"Say good bye to your lover, Liza." said Mitsui while laughing.

"Nooooooo," She shouted...

**_BOOM…_**

**_one shot, _**

**_one fallen victim._**

**Dreams!**

"And he scores!" Said Kaede cheerfully

"Come on, Kaede, we need to go." She said.

"Ok, Yuko, I'm coming." Replied Kaede to her while shooting again.

"We are going to be late for the party." She said.

Kaede threw the ball away, ran towards her, and kissed her on the cheek.

"We are not going to be late, you say that every time, and we end up being there before anybody else. I don't want to go, why don't we stay home today? Please Yuko." Begged Kaede.

_She felt weird…_

"Why do you keep calling me Yuko? I remember that I used to have another name, not Yuko…My name is….my name…." and she struggled to remember, but she knew for sure that her name was not Yuko.

"Honey! What is wrong with you today...you are my gorgeous Nakamora Yuko." He replied in a matter-of-fact way.

"No, I'm….if only I can remember my name…Gosh!"

"You are so funny today." He smiled.

"No, Kaede, I'm not funny! You are, and why do you keep talking like this all the time. You were never such a cheerful person. What the hell is happening?"

"Come on, let's go. They are waiting us. I changed my mind."

"No, no….I'm Liz…yes I'm Liza…Elizabeth Stanley...I remember, Kaede….I'm not Yuko. This Yuko was Mutsui's girlfriend, remember?"

"Ok, now Yuko you are so funny. Kaede died five years ago, remember? What's wrong with you today?" he wondered, while opening the car door for her.

Then suddenly, his face changed. He was Mitsui all that time, but she saw him as Kaede…Because she wanted to see him as Kaede.

_This cannot be real, this cannot be real, this can't be real…no!_

"Liz, do you hear me? Please say anything, do anything…come on, I know you can do it." He said softly through his silent tears.

She squeezed his hand weakly.

**_She feels me!_**

"Liz, Liza? Do you hear me? Wake up, open your eyes, and tell me you are ok." He begged.

"I know this voice…I know it! I'm awake, don't you see that?" she said calmly.

"Wake up, Liz, please wake up." He repeated.

"I'm awake, Kay…awake. Why can't you hear me?" she said.

"I'll bring someone, you will wake up, I know u can do it." he said.

Kaede paged the nurse to come and check on his girlfriend. He started to feel hopeful, after long quiet days in which she was unconscious. Worry had been eating him slowly; he even lost like 5 kilos in those five days. He refused to move a muscle whenever anyone asked him to get some sleep, and in the following day, they would usually find him sleeping in his chair beside Liz, holding her hand. Liz's mother was worried about him, but he was "as stubborn as Liza is."

When he felt that Liz was responding to his silent prayers, his face lightened a little and he started to smile. She sacrificed her life to save him. Nobody had ever done such a thing to him, but she was not anyone to him after all. She was Liz.

"If anything happens to her, I'll kill myself." He used to say that whenever he fell asleep beside her.

He felt a heavy burden on his chest, suffocating him slowly whenever he tried to sleep, and when he did, he had the same repeated dream of that bloody night.

Mitsui was pointing the gun towards him. He started to think that he did not want to die. He still had his dream of becoming the world's number 1. Rookie and he still had Liz with him. She would be unhappy without him. She would fade away. Nevertheless, he would rather die and keep her safe, than live without her or see her hurt, because of that Mitsui.

_He would happily die for her…_

However!

Liz was having the same thoughts as him. She would rather die than live without him. She could not possibly let Mistui kill him for her mistake. She was the one who let Mitsui in her life, so she had to deal with the consequences. She would happily sacrifice her life for Kaede, so when the right moment would come, she would gladly take the bullet in to save the love of her life.

Mitsui did not know all of these thoughts of the two lovers. He was sure that he would be able to kill Kaede, and the he would get his "Yuko" back. Therefore, he pushed the trigger hard to let the bullet free from the gun.

**One shot of the gun. **

Kaede had no other option but to take the bullet into his chest, he did not have any time to react, but if his death would save Liz, he would do it. And may be, he would be able to avoid the bullet and attack Mistsui.

_Yes, yes, that is better, I'll let him shoot and avoid it, and then I'd kill that bastard. Do not worry Liz; this nightmare would be soon over._

Kaede was busy with his own thoughts that he did not notice Liz who was running recklessly towards him.

"No, Kaede, nooooooo." She screamed.

"What? Liz, no." Shouted Mitsui, but it was too late.

Liz threw herself on Kaede, covering him with her little body, but that little body was more than enough to take the bullet in…..in silence.

Kaede stood thunder-struck.

Liz took the bullet in instead of him. It hit her in her left shoulder, just a few inches above her heart from the back. He did not know how he should react, until he felt her little body crashing on his. Then she let go of a weak moan.

"Ah...kaede." she moaned.

He managed to hold her tightly in his hands, before she collapsed. Then he lowered himself slowly towards the ground, to make her comfortable.

"Oh Kaede, you are safe. Thank God for that." She said weakly through her tears.

"Liz...liz! You stupid! What the hell did you do? Oh no, oh God, you are bleeding. God, help us please anyone!" Kaede screamed loudly in panic. Then he put his hand on the wound to stop the bleeding.

"You are going to be ok, do hear me, Liz?"

She tried to smile.

"I'm not sure of that…Kay…the…pain...I can't take it." She sobbed silently.

"Oh God, what did you do?"

"I had to save you my love. I had to." She said weakly.

"You are so stupid, Liz." He cried out in vain.

She was fading away, and there was nothing that he could do.

"I couldn't, Kay, I had to. I wouldn't go on with...out you." She replied weakly again, "just promise me that you are going to be ok." She said with a deep moan of pain.

"No, no, Liz, we are not having this conversation, do you understand? You are not leaving me, don't you dare." He said through his tears.

"I love you." She said with a smile while touching his cheek with her hand.

He looked to her eyes, and cried harder. He never felt such an emotional rush before, not to mention that he never cried even when he was alone, but Liz did really move something in him. His love for her changed him so much. But, he could not let this love fade away. It was then when he realized that he needs to use his mind, to think logically of what to do.

"No, Elizabeth Stanley, you are not leaving me, and you are going to hold into life for me, do you understand? This might hurt a little bit, but I've too." He said in determination, pressed firmly on the wound, carried her like a little bird in his arms, and stood up gracefully and lightly, like a Greek god, in order not to pain her. However, she could not take any move, so she clutched her teeth with a little moaning of pain.

"No, Kaede, stop it, it hurts, please." She sobbed.

"I'm sorry but I have to take you to the hospital. Shush now, you are ok." He soothed her, and then gave Mitsui, who has been stoned in his place, a killer look.

Kaede tried to run lightly but quickly to save her, and luckily, he managed to get back near to the festival. It was then when people started to notice that there was a girl wounded, but none moved to do anything, so he shouted at them.

"Call an ambulance for God's sake. She has been shot."

Sakuragi was the first to move, he ran towards them with terror on his face.

"What happened?" he shouted.

"It's Mitsui, no time for questions now, get me an ambulance, she is so weak, and barely holding on." Kaede screamed.

"Put me down, please." She whispered to him, so he obeyed like a robot.

"Just a couple of minutes, and you will be ok, just hold on for me, please."

"I'm so blessed for knowing you...," she whispered.

"Please hold on, please, Liz."

"Can I ask you one last thing, Kay?"

"Anything."

"Will you kiss me? I want you lips to be the last thing I feel, and you eyes the last to see…that would ease my pain, and let me go quietly."

Without a word, he leaned on her and kissed her so passionately. His tears fell on her pale cheeks as he felt her pulse goes weaker under his hand.

"Don't go, stay with me." He whispered in her ears.

He could feel his hands turning into a fist out of worry, when the nurse came in to see the updates.

"She held my hand." He said without being asked, "When I was talking to her, do you think she is waking up?" He asked quickly.

"I don't know, may be." Replied the nurse quietly.

"What do you mean by may be? She held my hand." He said angrily.

"Her vital signs are better now, and her pulse is steady, she is out of danger, but she is still in a coma, if she doesn't wake up soon…." She continued.

"She will wake up, she must, and I know she will." He interrupted.

The nurse was surprised by his answer.

"Pray for her, young man. Patients sometimes give some reflexive reactions that don't have any meaning, what I'd suggest is to take care of yourself, I take it that you haven't slept since you came. You look exhausted." She seemed to have softened to him.

He glared at her.

"You might need to be awake when she wakes up, you don't want to miss that, do you?"

His face grew tender as he looked to Liz, and hoped that she would wake up immediately.

"So? You need to take care of yourself. I believe she is struggling for her life to see you again, so you don't want her to see you like this." And she left.

**05.00 a.m.**

"Kaede…"

_His heart skipped a beat._

He opened his eyes and ran towards her bed, and held her hand so close to his heart.

"Liz? Are you awake, dear?" he whispered in her ear.

"Kaede?" she said in a barely audible voice.

His face lightened and he inhaled deeply. She was awake finally.

"You are awake; I knew it, Liz, my Liz. Thank God." He felt relieved.

"I can't see you." She whispered, "The light is hurting my eyes."

He switched off the lights quickly, keeping only one fading light to see her.

"Oh God! You gave me hard time young lady." He said calmly.

"Do you care about me that much?" she smiled weakly.

"Do I? You are still asking, Liz?" he smiled to her then started kissing her hand so gently.

"I feared that I'd lose you, I wouldn't have been able to go on without you, Liz."

"Your voice is what kept me alive, Kaede. I heard you calling me to come back to life. I don't know if I was dreaming or not, but you saved me." She said weakly.

"No, you saved me. All my life, Liz, never had anybody who would sacrifice life itself for my. I owe you my life, Liz." He charmed her with his dreamy eyes.

"You are my Kaede, I had to save you."

She breathed in deeply which hurt her, but she tried to hide it.

"I'm sorry." He felt guilty.

"No, Kay, don't worry I'm ok." She grinned to hide the pain.

"What do you feel?" he was concerned.

"Pain...but it will go away." she squeezed his hand in hers to distract herself from the pain.

He held her hand tenderly, and started to kiss her to distract her from the pain, so she moaned with pleasure.

"Is it better now?" he smiled to her.

"Mmm, you are tricking me! Yes, it is." She giggled.

"Good." And he kissed her again.

"Do you know that you look charming when you smile?" she said while passed her hand on his cheek, so he sat beside her on the bed.

"Really?" and he imprinted another quick kiss on her lips.

"And you are a good kisser too, have I told you that?" she asked wickedly.

"No, you haven't." he said quietly

She smiled.

She looked so pale and tired, which made him feel guilty.

"Don't do that to me again."

She remained silent for a couple of seconds, so he felt concerned.

"Are you ok? Do you feel any pain?" he was worried.

"No, no I'm ok, sorry. It's just I was wondering what became of Mitsui?"

"God, Liz! Seriously? He in jail right now, they may release him, since you are ok now, but in that case I'll kill him with my own hands." He said angrily.

"No, Kaede, Don't….promise me that you would let him go."

"Hnn"

"Kaede, promise me! I don't want to lose you again." And she shed a tear

"Sorry, I promise you, Liz."

He wiped her tears away with concern. It was then when it hit him that he has never loved anyone as serious as he loved her. She was irreplaceable to him. She was the one who completed him, who made him feel human again, who made him trust his feelings and trust human beings again. She was his one, for whom he was ready to fight the whole world just to protect her, and make her feel safe, because she deserved that. She was his queen who made him feel like a king, who owns the world, just because he was blessed for having her in his life. She made him the luckiest and happiest man alive.

_She was his, and he was hers forever. She was his one._

Liz recovered quickly within a month, and she was allowed to go home. She had an unexpected visit from Akira who was out of the country when all of that happened. He looked concerned to see her that pale and weak, and he warned Kaede that if anything happens to her, he would kill him.

Few months later,

Kaede surprised her with the fact that he bought her a house near the beach, just the way she liked it. She was thrilled for that. She felt as if there was nothing else to ask for. Her health however was not that good anymore. She usually felt sudden waves of pain near her old wound that made her have some troubles breathing, that is why Kaede was always around her, to take care of her. However, she never complained.

"I'm ok, Kay, don't worry, it's just my body wants to remind me of how much I love you and what I would do for you. See this scar? It is our bond, kaede. I am bounded to you forever." She would always say.

She felt blessed for having Kaede in her life, and whenever he asked her, she always said that she would die for him thousands time , if she had to.

End of Chapter six:)

stay tuned for the coming events!


	7. Finale!

Epilogue

Kaede and Liz have been dating each other for good four years now, and their love never faded. They did not seem to have the vicissitudes that they used to have before. On the contrary, they seemed to have come to mutual understanding for each other on a highly spiritual level. Everything was pure and sweet around them. They didn't seem to have the normal ups and downs that any couple of their age used to have any more.

Liz finished her studies in college, while Kaede never went to college. He wanted to fulfill his dream; to be his mother's international basket ball hero, and he did.

Now…

Kaede has been planning to purpose to Liz tonight after going to Ayako's and Miyagi's baby shower. He felt that he was wasting her time not being "bonded" to her forever. He wanted to live with and for her, as his queen, partner, lover, sister, friend and mother. He wanted to marry her.

He has now become Japan's Number 1. In basketball, he gets many international offers, but he has decided to give up his dream of going international. He figured out that he has become World's number 1. Just because she tells him that he is. He would not risk leaving her alone ever; even if it means that he has to give up his dream. She deserves it after all. She has become the center of his life, and not just him.

He was her guardian's angel.

As for Mitsui, he never got rid of his guilt, so he left college and re-joined his old gang. They say that he killed himself two months after the gun accident, but nobody knows.

Now Kaede and Liz are at Takashiro's (Ayako's son) party and he has planned to purpose to her among all the people who love her.

She was sitting quietly near the window with a scarf around her neck. He bought it for her from Turkey in their last summer vacation. He wanted her to cover her chest, whenever she had asthma, because too much air would tire her. She always wore that scarf and never thought of replacing it.

She was holding Takashiro in her hands and smiling angelically to him.

_"That's it that is the right moment. I feel it." He thought._

Kaede walked to where she sat, and knelt in front of her on his knees, so she looked at him with her angelic smile, and pushed a lock of her black hair behind her ear.

"See how beautiful he is, Kaede. I love him already." She said angelically.

"Do you love kids, Lizzie?" he asked gently, while touching her white cheek with his fingers.

She was surprised. She never expected him to ask her that. She did not want to think of that, because she knew no matter how much he loved her, he would never marry a sick girl with a hole in her chest. A girl who can no longer walk a lot, run a lot, or do any activity, because that would tire her, so how about carrying his child. Of course, he would not marry her. He would never ask her that. Nevertheless, she was content with that. She was happy that he stayed around her and loved her, even though she was becoming a burden, and that for her sake, he turned down many priceless offers for international teams.

She still did not expect that, so she blushed.

"Yes…..I do." She whispered.

"You look so beautiful when you blush. You look so beautiful to me every day, Lizzie. You complete me." He said while trying to get something out of his pocket.

Her heart skipped a beat. She knew what he was going to say next. He was proposing to her.

She looked around to Ayako and she saw her smiling. They all planned it. After all, Kaede's best friend after her was Ayako then Sakuragi and Myagi.

"Kaede…" she whispered.

"I don't know what kind of magic you have, Liz, but I know that you charm me every day. You changed me. I am a better man, because of you. You push me to be the best, to be worthy of a pure person like you. I love you Elizabeth Stanley, and I want to be bonded to you forever. I want to be the father of your babies. Would you marry me, and honor me by being the husband of the kindest woman ever?" he smiled gently.

Liz was speechless. She felt as if she was dreaming. It was all so beautiful and surreal, but it was magical. She shed a tear of happiness, handed the baby to his mother, leant down towards Kaede's head, and kissed his hair.

"Are you sure that you want to be bonded to a sick girl?" she asked quietly.

He kissed her hands, and then put his hand on her scar.

"I believe this girl is sick, because she was ready to die for me, right?"

She nodded.

"Then I think she knows the answer."

"I do, Kaede, I would marry you, yes I would." she replied through her tears, "I want to be with you till the end of my life, if that's okay with you."

"Till the end of times."

"I love you Rukawa Kaede. I want to have your kids. I want to kiss you every day, to hug you when you are down, to warm you when you are cold, and to read to you to fall asleep in my arms, as we usually do. "

"I want to kiss you in the morning. I want to sleep every night with you in my arms. I want to carry you when you are sick or pregnant. I want to share my victories with you, to fight with you just to make it up for you. I want to see the whole world with you. I want to be with you when you grow old, my lovely wife."

"Would you still love me at that time?" she asked gently.

"Would you love me when I'm all wrinkled and no longer young? With gray hair?"

"Rukawa Kaede, I fall in love you every day from the start. You are always beautiful to me. You are my Adonis and will always be. That lovely face can never grow old."

"Would you love me, when I'm bad-tempered and angry with our kids?"

"Our kids will never make you angry, because they will be so charming just like you, but yes. I would love you to the end of times. You are timeless to me Kaede."

He kissed her, then whispered in her ears, "I don't know if this is not love, then what is love? I do not know how I would live my life if I did not know you. I simply love you."

Ayako cried out of happiness.

"They are so angelic, I'm jealous of them Miyagi Ryota, you insensitive man." She said cheerfully.

"Man! Kaede, see what happens? Save your love for Liz away, please. Some of us have a life to maintain." Teased Miyagi.

"I can't believe that this is the same poker-faced boy that I used to know since he was little." said Ayako sarcastically.

"He is losing his charm, because nobody can be as perfect as I am." Laughed Sakuragi stupidly.

"You are still as goofy as ever, Hana! I guess somethings never change." smirked Miyagi.

"Gosh! I might hate this new talkative and emotional Kaede!" continued Ayako who seemed to be continuing the talk with herself.

"I'm still here, you know!" said Kaede with a threatening eye.

"She is just kidding, honey." said Liz sweetly.

Liz and Kaede married in Italy, and had their honeymoon in Venice. They still live in Japan at the time being and they have a girl called Kira, and a boy called Kenji.

Kaede still plays basketball in Japan's national team, and he is offered to train the high schools' national team for the world's cup in his free time. As for Liz, her health got better, however, she is just dedicated to her husband and kids.

"Mom, I think I like a like a boy at my school, but he is so cold, and doesn't talk to me." Said Kira sadly.

Liz just laughed at her daughter.

"It's not funny, mom!" said the girl angrily.

"I know, sweetie, sorry. You have just reminded me of a girl I used to know." Said Liz lightly.

"Who is she?"

"A girl called Elizabeth Stanley." Laughed Liz.

"Oh mom, tell me again how did you and dad fall in love with each other?" asked Kira.

It was then when Kaede came in, and kissed Liz, and then kissed his daughter's head.

"I'll tell you, honey, how I fell in love with a witch."


End file.
